The Breast Cancer Fund’s single focus on preventing breast cancer by eliminating our exposure to toxic chemicals is what sets us apart from any other breast cancer organization. Together, we have worked to protect those we care about from these dangerous exposures. After all, prevention starts with what we put on and into our bodies.
Here’s a snapshot of what we accomplished together in 2015:
Uncovering Elevated Breast Cancer Risk for Working Women
Which occupations, and which exposures on the job, put women at greatest risk for breast cancer? On Labor Day we released Working Women and Breast Cancer: State of the Evidence. A first of its kind review, the report uncovers more than 20 occupations associated with considerably increased risk of breast cancer compared to the risk for the general population. We are confident that there is a better way forward, and that a cancer-free economy is within our grasp. The report offers recommendations for research and policies that prioritize workers’ health over industry profit or political gain. Get the full story >
Moving the $71 Billion Cosmetics Industry Towards Better Regulation
For the first time in 77 years, Congress could close the gaping holes in our outdated federal law with the Personal Care Products Safety Act of 2015 (S.1014), introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Susan Collins, R-Maine. This bill has the potential to give the FDA statutory authority and resources to effectively regulate the $71 billion cosmetics industry. Amendments are needed to strengthen the legislation, but we have been at the forefront of negotiations and garnered more than 10,000 petition signatures urging senators to strengthen, and pass, this game-changing legislation. Learn more >
Championing California Right to Know Act
Are the ingredients in cleaning products safe? Unfortunately, most consumers have no way of knowing. Full ingredient disclosure is required for food, cosmetics and drugs, but not cleaning products. That’s why the Breast Cancer Fund co-sponsored California Assembly Bill 708, The Cleaning Product Right to Know Act, which would require manufacturers to list the ingredients in cleaners on product labels and websites. We are working with legislators, parents and workers to demand transparency on this essential issue. Learn more >
Revealing Toxic Contaminants in Beauty Products
Would you put Teflon on your face? Did you know some anti-aging creams and face powders use the same chemical that creates a nonstick surface on some cookware to create a smooth finish to makeups and lotions? That’s a recipe for concern, because PTFE can be contaminated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) — a toxic chemical linked to cancer, endocrine disruption and reproductive harm. PTFE is the same chemical known by the trade name Teflon. A recent report published by our Campaign for Safe Cosmetics revealed PFOA contamination in over one-third of the personal care products we tested. Get the story >
Hiking for Prevention
Nearly 500 moms, daughters, husbands, friends and loved ones joined us on Mt. Tamalpais in Mill Valley, CA for the 20th anniversary of Peak Hike for prevention. We are so grateful to everyone who came out to help stop breast cancer before it starts at Peak Hike, and at hiking events across the country! We love being part of such an amazing community of people who are proactive for prevention.
What will 2016 bring?
In looking forward, the Breast Cancer Fund will keep working towards a world in which we can live without fear of losing our breasts or our lives as a result of what we’ve eaten, touched or breathed. But we can’t do it without you. Our work is made possible because of your investment in the Breast Cancer Fund. With your help, we will continue to transform the science linking breast cancer to chemical exposures into real action that protects the health of all of us and generations to follow.
